Tucking the checkbook back in her b

Tucking the checkbook back in her bag, she looked at her watch. She had two hundred and four dollars and thirty-six cents left after the motel and breakfast. Gazing around her home she considered the necessities she needed.
She stood and opened the fridge. How incredible. The air that touched her hand was cold. She opened the freezer—also cold. Amazing! She ran to the bathroom and turned on the water. Beautiful, clear liquid flowed from the spigot. Cupping her hands, she drank a mouthful, laughing at the purity of the taste. Running water! In her bathroom!
She flushed the toilet and spun in place. Her fingers flipped the switch as she watched the simple bulb behind the glass flicker with each click. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off.
Her cheeks cramped as her smile refused to abate. Sighing, she turned and faced her living room slash bedroom. Decision made, she swept up her bag, dug out her key and nearly broke her neck as she rushed down the steps.
Calm down, Keats. You want to be around to enjoy it.
After locking the door, she exited the alley and headed toward Clemons. Her eyes snagged on the people in the insurance office below her apartment. Eventually she’d need to introduce herself to them.
Her job was the perfect distance from her home. Every time she thought the word she beamed. She had a home!
A few doors down from Clemons Market was a mattress store. She was getting herself a bed! As she approached the store, she took a deep breath. She’d never bought a big-ticket item, but this was definitely a dream worth pursuing.
Scout pressed the glass door open and stepped into a showroom full of various white mattresses.
“Can I help you find something?”
Scout jumped. Where the hell did that guy come from? He wore a brown suit with a yellow shirt and brown tie. He must work there. “I want to buy a bed.”
He smirked, as though they were old friends, which automatically made her uncomfortable. Oh, well. She was getting a bed and this was the only bed store she knew of.
“Well, you came to the right place. Name’s Sal. What kind of bed are you looking for?”
“Um, the kind you sleep on. Do you guys deliver?”
“Yes. Thursday’s one of our delivery days, so you’re in luck if you were hoping to get it today. Will you be shopping for a mattress and box spring as well?”
Yes, mattress, that’s what she meant. “What’s a box spring?”
“Box spring’s the support piece under the mattress.” He pointed to the bed closest to them and lifted the plush mattress to show her the box spring. It looked like a mattress, but wasn’t cushioned.
“What does it do?”
Salesman Sal’s brow creased. “It lifts the mattress, offers more support. You don’t want to put a mattress on the frame.”
“Frame?”
“The metal support.” He pointed to the brown metal beams that raised the mattress and box spring off the ground.
“Oh, yes, I’d also like a box spring.” Her days of sleeping low to the ground were over.
“What size were you hoping for?”
“Um, square and a one-person.”
He frowned and laughed in a way that was insulting. “Well, they’re all square, dear. Let me show you our twins.”
“It’s just for one person,” she explained.
“Right. That’s a twin.”
Oh.
They walked to the far left of the showroom. Several narrow, one-person beds were lined up on the wall. “This is a good brand, one of our best sellers. Go ahead. Try it out.”
Eyeing him skeptically, she looked at the bed. Pockets of white curved up in firm diamond shaped clouds, neatly sectioned off with ivory stitching. Cautiously, she stepped closer and sat on the edge. It was firm.
“Go ahead. Lay down. Get comfortable.”
Her brow tightened and, with shifting movements, she scooted more on the bed. As she eased back, she was very aware of her breasts pressing into her shirt and Sal observing her. It was impossible to get comfortable with him hovering over her. She sat up. Anything was better than the floor.
“How much is it?” she asked.
He looked at the tag she hadn’t noticed tacked to the side. “This one’s four ninety-nine.”
“Four ninety-nine? As in four hundred and ninety-nine dollars?” She nearly spit.
“It’s a memory foam. You’re talking about one hundred and eighty degrees of spring and three hundred and sixty degrees of comfort.”
She stepped away from the bed. “I’m looking for something a little more affordable.”
Sal stepped to the right. “Well, this here’s a notable brand. It’s a traditional spring.”
She looked for the tag. It was two hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Her stomach sunk. Scowling, she marched down the line, flicking up each tag until she found one that was in her price range. She sat on the edge of the mattress and bounced. This one wasn’t cut in with white stuffed diamond shapes, but it had nice blue ticking. It was firm and squeaked as she bounced.
The salesman approached with a regretful expression. “I don’t think you want that one, sweetheart. You’ll be spending the difference on visits to the chiropractor. That there’s a backbreaker.”
Lips pursed, she met his gaze challengingly. “Do you make a commission?”
His mouth opened as he gathered his words. “Well, yes, but I’m more concerned with your comfort than making a sale.”
“I’m sure you are,” she mumbled, standing to examine the box spring. “How much is this?”
He sighed. “That box spring’s fifty five. Can I show you a better model? It’s only a little more. I’d hate to see you throw away your money on a mattress you aren’t happy with.”
Scout faced him. “Sal—it is Sal, isn’t it?” He nodded. “Well, Sal, I’m sure the mattress isn’t as bad as you say. A man like you wouldn’t have shoddy merchandise in his store.”
He blustered. “Well, now, I wouldn’t call it shoddy—”
“But you’d call it a backbreaker?”
“I only meant there are better—”
“Right. I know what you meant. This mattress will do just fine.”
His lips formed a thin line. “Our store has a non refundable policy—”
“That’s fine. When can I have it delivered?”
His eyes narrowed and he sighed. Lifting the clipboard he held, his pudgy fingers flipped a few pages. “Where’s it going?”
“Only a few blocks from here, South Knights Boulevard.”
“I have an opening for tonight between five and seven.”
She beamed. “Perfect! I’d like to pay now.”
She followed a very sulky Sal to the register. Her grand total for her mattress, box spring, and frame was one hundred ninety-four dollars and four cents with tax. She signed the order form carefully. She’d never written her name so much in one day.
“Slide your card,” Sal said, gesturing toward the fancy card device on the counter. Luckily, from clerking at Clemons, she was familiar with the device. She swiped her card, and words came up. Lots of words. Shit.
“Type in your pin and hit Enter.”
Blowing out a calming breath, she typed in the address for Patras. 1-9-0-0.
“You have to hit Enter.”
Where was Enter? When she took longer than usual, Sal said, “The green button.”
Scout quickly hit the button. “Sorry. I forgot my glasses,” she lied.
“Hit Enter again if the amount’s okay.”
She looked at the screen. $194.04. That was correct. She pressed the green button again and more words appeared as a paper receipt spewed from the register. She’d been a bit concerned the funds wouldn’t clear, but it looked as though her money was available. Sal stapled it to her signed receipt and slid it across the counter.
“If you miss the delivery there’s a twenty-five-dollar service fee and our next delivery day isn’t until Saturday.” He certainly wasn’t as friendly since he learned he wouldn’t be making a living off of her.
Taking the paperwork, she gave him a nice smile. “Thank you very much.”
He grumbled a have a nice day and she left. Tonight she’d be sleeping on her own bed!
***

Scout was huffing and puffing by the time she made it up the narrow steps of her apartment with her bags. The living space was swamped with other bags and assorted items. She needed to get things put away before her bed arrived.
She was nearing a crash. Her legs ached. Over the past two hours, she hustled her ass off trying to get everything she’d need to make her place a home. She’d visited the general store and found sheets, a pillow, blankets, towels, her very first one-cup coffeepot. Every purchase validated her arrival into the real world.
As her bank account chipped away, she suffered little remorse for her purchases. She still had a ton of money in her account, and these were all items she needed. Although she asked Lucian to loan her thirty-five thousand, her actual plan would cost less. She was smart to ask for a bit more, knowing she needed a home. Well, maybe not needed. She’d certainly gone without such luxuries before, but it was time to join the ranks of normal adults.
She’d bought enough from the market to make it through the night. It was more sensible to bring a couple of bags home from work each day. For now, she had enough to keep her busy.
Hoisting her butt off the top step, where she collapsed with an arm full of purchases—she really needed furniture—she began emptying out her loot. The coffeepot was an easy setup, and she used the box as a trash can for now. Stacking all her linens in the corner with her pillow, she carried her toiletries to the bathroom.
As the apartment dimmed, the sun retreating for the day, she dug out her box of light bulbs and searched for an outlet. She’d found a lamp at a secondhand store for four dollars. She frowned once it was plugged in, realizing she had nowhere to put it. Using a large bag, she dumped in the trash from the coffeepot box and, instead, used the box as a makeshift end table.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Tucking the checkbook back in her bag, she looked at her watch. She had two hundred and four dollars and thirty-six cents left after the motel and breakfast. Gazing around her home she considered the necessities she needed.She stood and opened the fridge. How incredible. The air that touched her hand was cold. She opened the freezer—also cold. Amazing! She ran to the bathroom and turned on the water. Beautiful, clear liquid flowed from the spigot. Cupping her hands, she drank a mouthful, laughing at the purity of the taste. Running water! In her bathroom!She flushed the toilet and spun in place. Her fingers flipped the switch as she watched the simple bulb behind the glass flicker with each click. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off.Her cheeks cramped as her smile refused to abate. Sighing, she turned and faced her living room slash bedroom. Decision made, she swept up her bag, dug out her key and nearly broke her neck as she rushed down the steps.Calm down, Keats. You want to be around to enjoy it.After locking the door, she exited the alley and headed toward Clemons. Her eyes snagged on the people in the insurance office below her apartment. Eventually she’d need to introduce herself to them.Her job was the perfect distance from her home. Every time she thought the word she beamed. She had a home!A few doors down from Clemons Market was a mattress store. She was getting herself a bed! As she approached the store, she took a deep breath. She’d never bought a big-ticket item, but this was definitely a dream worth pursuing.Scout pressed the glass door open and stepped into a showroom full of various white mattresses.“Can I help you find something?”Scout jumped. Where the hell did that guy come from? He wore a brown suit with a yellow shirt and brown tie. He must work there. “I want to buy a bed.”He smirked, as though they were old friends, which automatically made her uncomfortable. Oh, well. She was getting a bed and this was the only bed store she knew of.“Well, you came to the right place. Name’s Sal. What kind of bed are you looking for?”“Um, the kind you sleep on. Do you guys deliver?”“Yes. Thursday’s one of our delivery days, so you’re in luck if you were hoping to get it today. Will you be shopping for a mattress and box spring as well?”Yes, mattress, that’s what she meant. “What’s a box spring?”“Box spring’s the support piece under the mattress.” He pointed to the bed closest to them and lifted the plush mattress to show her the box spring. It looked like a mattress, but wasn’t cushioned.“What does it do?”Salesman Sal’s brow creased. “It lifts the mattress, offers more support. You don’t want to put a mattress on the frame.”“Frame?”“The metal support.” He pointed to the brown metal beams that raised the mattress and box spring off the ground.“Oh, yes, I’d also like a box spring.” Her days of sleeping low to the ground were over.“What size were you hoping for?”“Um, square and a one-person.”He frowned and laughed in a way that was insulting. “Well, they’re all square, dear. Let me show you our twins.”“It’s just for one person,” she explained.“Right. That’s a twin.”Oh.They walked to the far left of the showroom. Several narrow, one-person beds were lined up on the wall. “This is a good brand, one of our best sellers. Go ahead. Try it out.”Eyeing him skeptically, she looked at the bed. Pockets of white curved up in firm diamond shaped clouds, neatly sectioned off with ivory stitching. Cautiously, she stepped closer and sat on the edge. It was firm.“Go ahead. Lay down. Get comfortable.”Her brow tightened and, with shifting movements, she scooted more on the bed. As she eased back, she was very aware of her breasts pressing into her shirt and Sal observing her. It was impossible to get comfortable with him hovering over her. She sat up. Anything was better than the floor.“How much is it?” she asked.He looked at the tag she hadn’t noticed tacked to the side. “This one’s four ninety-nine.”“Four ninety-nine? As in four hundred and ninety-nine dollars?” She nearly spit.“It’s a memory foam. You’re talking about one hundred and eighty degrees of spring and three hundred and sixty degrees of comfort.”She stepped away from the bed. “I’m looking for something a little more affordable.”Sal stepped to the right. “Well, this here’s a notable brand. It’s a traditional spring.”She looked for the tag. It was two hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Her stomach sunk. Scowling, she marched down the line, flicking up each tag until she found one that was in her price range. She sat on the edge of the mattress and bounced. This one wasn’t cut in with white stuffed diamond shapes, but it had nice blue ticking. It was firm and squeaked as she bounced.The salesman approached with a regretful expression. “I don’t think you want that one, sweetheart. You’ll be spending the difference on visits to the chiropractor. That there’s a backbreaker.”Lips pursed, she met his gaze challengingly. “Do you make a commission?”His mouth opened as he gathered his words. “Well, yes, but I’m more concerned with your comfort than making a sale.”“I’m sure you are,” she mumbled, standing to examine the box spring. “How much is this?”He sighed. “That box spring’s fifty five. Can I show you a better model? It’s only a little more. I’d hate to see you throw away your money on a mattress you aren’t happy with.”Scout faced him. “Sal—it is Sal, isn’t it?” He nodded. “Well, Sal, I’m sure the mattress isn’t as bad as you say. A man like you wouldn’t have shoddy merchandise in his store.”He blustered. “Well, now, I wouldn’t call it shoddy—”"Tetapi Anda akan menyebutnya backbreaker?""Saya hanya berarti ada lebih baik —""Benar. Aku tahu apa yang Anda maksud. Kasur ini akan melakukan saja."Bibirnya membentuk garis tipis. "Toko kami memiliki kebijakan dikembalikan —""Itu baik-baik saja. Kapan saya bisa mengirimkannya?"Matanya mempersempit dan Dia menghela napas. Mengangkat clipboard dipegangnya, jarinya tembam yang sedang membalik beberapa halaman. "Mana itu akan?""Hanya beberapa blok dari sini, South Knights Boulevard.""Saya memiliki lubang untuk malam ini antara lima dan tujuh."Ia berseri-seri. "Sempurna! Saya ingin bayar sekarang."Ia mengikuti Sal sangat sulky ke kasir. Nya jumlah total kasur, kotak musim semi, dan frame pada seratus sembilan - empat dolar dan empat sen dengan pajak. Dia menandatangani formulir hati-hati. Dia belum pernah menulis dia nama begitu banyak dalam satu hari."Geser kartu Anda," Sal berkata, menunjuk ke arah perangkat mewah kartu di meja. Untungnya, dari clerking di Clemons, dia menjadi akrab dengan perangkat. Dia mengusap dirinya kartu, dan kata-kata datang. Banyak kata-kata. Kotoran."Ketik pin dan tekan Enter."Meniup keluar napas menenangkan, dia mengetik alamat untuk Patras. 1-9-0-0."Anda harus tekan Enter."Mana Apakah Enter? Ketika ia mengambil lebih lama dari biasanya, Sal berkata, "Tombol hijau."Pramuka dengan cepat menekan tombol. "Maaf. Aku lupa kacamata saya,"dia berbohong."Tekan Enter lagi jika jumlah Oke."She looked at the screen. $194.04. That was correct. She pressed the green button again and more words appeared as a paper receipt spewed from the register. She’d been a bit concerned the funds wouldn’t clear, but it looked as though her money was available. Sal stapled it to her signed receipt and slid it across the counter.“If you miss the delivery there’s a twenty-five-dollar service fee and our next delivery day isn’t until Saturday.” He certainly wasn’t as friendly since he learned he wouldn’t be making a living off of her.
Taking the paperwork, she gave him a nice smile. “Thank you very much.”
He grumbled a have a nice day and she left. Tonight she’d be sleeping on her own bed!
***

Scout was huffing and puffing by the time she made it up the narrow steps of her apartment with her bags. The living space was swamped with other bags and assorted items. She needed to get things put away before her bed arrived.
She was nearing a crash. Her legs ached. Over the past two hours, she hustled her ass off trying to get everything she’d need to make her place a home. She’d visited the general store and found sheets, a pillow, blankets, towels, her very first one-cup coffeepot. Every purchase validated her arrival into the real world.
As her bank account chipped away, she suffered little remorse for her purchases. She still had a ton of money in her account, and these were all items she needed. Although she asked Lucian to loan her thirty-five thousand, her actual plan would cost less. She was smart to ask for a bit more, knowing she needed a home. Well, maybe not needed. She’d certainly gone without such luxuries before, but it was time to join the ranks of normal adults.
She’d bought enough from the market to make it through the night. It was more sensible to bring a couple of bags home from work each day. For now, she had enough to keep her busy.
Hoisting her butt off the top step, where she collapsed with an arm full of purchases—she really needed furniture—she began emptying out her loot. The coffeepot was an easy setup, and she used the box as a trash can for now. Stacking all her linens in the corner with her pillow, she carried her toiletries to the bathroom.
As the apartment dimmed, the sun retreating for the day, she dug out her box of light bulbs and searched for an outlet. She’d found a lamp at a secondhand store for four dollars. She frowned once it was plugged in, realizing she had nowhere to put it. Using a large bag, she dumped in the trash from the coffeepot box and, instead, used the box as a makeshift end table.